In a 13 October 2016 statement the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference calls on the Australian government to bring asylum seekers held on Nauru and Manus Island to Australia. Conference President, Archbishop Hart, got behind the Bring Them Here campaign: We endorse the campaign to Bring Them Here to Australia. We… Read More »Time to Bring Them Here Say Australian Bishops
Director of the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office, Fr Maurizio Pettena calls for immediate action on the allegations made in the leaked Nauru files. The Nauru files detail numerous alleged incidents of physical and sexual abuse of detainees at Australia’s offshore immigration detention centre. Fr Pettena expressed “grave concern… Read More »Immediate Action needed on Nauru Files
Causes of Trafficking In a submission to the Australian Government’s Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference say that human trafficking and slavery are the terrible consequence of economic and social exclusion, where: • We don’t recognise the human dignity of each person, so people are… Read More »Trafficking Submission by Australian Bishops
Bishop Terence Brady issued a message for the International Day of People with Disability 2015 on behalf of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference. He is the Conference’s Delegate for Disability Issues and a member of the Bishops Commission for Pastoral Life. Bishop Brady noted that “according to the 2011 National… Read More »Bishops Call for Inclusion of People with Disability
Archbishop Denis Hart, President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference offered condolences and deep sympathy for the victims of terror attacks in France. He called for unity among cultures and expressed special concern that Australians of Middle Eastern backgrounds should not be vilified as a result of the attacks. He… Read More »Australian Bishops Call for Unity
The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference’s social justice statement for 2015-2016 is titled For Those Who’ve Come Across the Seas, making reference to the second verse of the national anthem. It is a strong call for justice for refugees and asylum seekers. The Bishops critique the policy responses of successive Australian governments… Read More »Justice for Refugees